Rural handlers on govt table

PRANESH SARKAR

Calcutta, May 11: The Bengal government will seek Calcutta High Court's permission to appoint administrators to run the three-tier panchayat system if rural polls can't be held before the term of the elected bodies ends. The term of most gram panchayats — the lowest tier — ends on June 25. If new bodies are to be formed before that, polls have to be notified by May 17, a possibility officials at Writers' said was "remote". Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said the state would submit "instances" of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra before a division bench the government plans to move on Monday. "If polls cannot be held before that (June 25), and we think it would be extremely difficult to hold the polls by then, we will seek permission from the court to appoint special officers or administrators to run the rural boards until the polls are held," Mukherjee toldThe Telegraph. "We will submit instances of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra before the court where special officers were appointed to keep development projects running in the absence of elected members." Officials said the government had decided on this course of action in anticipation that the division bench would stay Justice Biswanath Somadder's order yesterday asking the government to "satisfy" the state election commission on the conduct of the rural polls. An expert on panchayat affairs said the government could enact a legislation or promulgate an ordinance, if the Assembly is not in session, as existing laws don't have any provision for appointing such special officers. A Writers' source, however, said the government preferred a nod from the court. "Allegations are being levelled against us that we don't want the polls now. The allegations would gain momentum if we appoint administrators on our own. The court has to direct us to appoint administrators if the polls are not held before the rural bodies are dissolved," the official said. Mukherjee said the government wouldn't have any "problem" even if the court decides to monitor the administrators. "We wanted polls. If that doesn't happen why should we have any problem if the court decides to monitor the administrators? We want to keep the development process in rural Bengal running," he said. Some officials said appointing administrators could hit projects as funds under two heads — those allotted by the 13th finance commission and backward regions grant fund (BRGF) — would stop. Funds under these heads are meant to be spent only by elected bodies. "About Rs 1,200 crore would not be forthcoming," said an official. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130512/jsp/frontpage/story_16888611.jsp